V.P. Sathyanathan earned his MBBS from GMC Trivandrum in 1984, his MD from KMC Mangalore in 1989, and his DM from GMC Trivandrum in 1998. He has served as an assistant professor at KMC Manipal, an associate professor at Pariyaram Medical College, Kannur, and a professor at Kannur Medical College.

Currently, he is working as a consultant nephrologist at AKG Hospital and Dhanalakshmi Hospital, Kannur. His special interests include snake bites, acute kidney injury (AKI), and Nephrotic syndrome